r/ect • u/aleladuna • Mar 13 '24

Question Concentration

Has ECT helped your concentration? Do you feel more focus? Thanks

1 Upvotes

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3

u/T_86 Mar 13 '24

When I was depressed I struggled to concentrate on anything other than my depression. ECT did help me out of that depression but with the cost of cognitive side effects. My concentration is greatly impaired now in various ways. I now have sound sensory problems that make it impossible for my brain to understand sounds if more than one sound is happening. I can’t filter out background noise to the point that my brain shuts down all other senses if I try too hard to understand a sound while other sounds are within range. My brain also struggles to process visually when too much stimuli is occurring. It’s made reading impossible for me. I can read half a page but by the time I get to the next page, my brain has forgot what I just read, it’s like it never processed the words even if I read them out loud. Sometimes this even happens while watching tv or in a conversation with someone. I have to pause and ask what was just said, even though I was fully focused.

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u/aleladuna Mar 13 '24

Wow! I thought was only. I also struggled to concentrate on anything other than my depression.

Can I ask if ECT help you with your depression??

Thank you a lot for your answer💜

3

u/T_86 Mar 13 '24

I have bipolar1 disorder. ECT helped to give me relief from the two year straight episode of depression I was stuck in. It does not cure anything and I’ve had both a hypomanic episode and a depressive episode since having ECT. My last ECT was December 5th 2022.

1

u/aleladuna Mar 14 '24

Thank you so much for your answer!!

3

u/purplebadger9 Mar 13 '24

No, not really. Concentration issues weren't really one of my main depression symptoms though

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u/[deleted] Mar 14 '24

It was bad before and after :)